How does intimate partner violence affect sexuality?

What is it about?

The violence that takes place in partner relationships causes physical and psychological harm. Its prevalence, especially high in women, has led the World Health Organization to consider this type of violence a global public health problem. Its consequences have been related to negative effects on sexual health. In order to provide greater knowledge about the association between intimate partner violence and sexuality, this study how relevant aspects related to sexual health are different between people who have suffered abuse in the context of heterosexual partnership and people who have not experienced this type of violence. In this study participated 3,394 Spanish adults (1,628 men and 1,766 women) with ages between 18 and 81 years old. The evaluated variables related to sexual health were sexual attitudes (erotophilia and positive attitude towards sexual fantasies), sexual assertiveness, and sexual functioning dimensions (desire, excitation, erection, orgasm, and sexual satisfaction). Groups of men and women were examined based on whether they had experienced psychological or physical partner abuse. Results indicated that men and women that had suffered abuse (psychological or physical) showed lower sexual assertiveness to initiate desired sexual activities or to refuse unwanted sexual contact. Men who had experienced physical abuse reported lower assertiveness to prevent STI. It was observed fewer positive attitudes towards sexual fantasies in women who had suffered abuse (psychological or physical) compared to those without abuse experience. An explanation for this fact occurred only in women could be because, generally, men tend to inform more positive attitudes towards sexual fantasies. Nevertheless, no association between abuse experience and erotophilia was found. This result seems to indicate that specific attitudes (e.g., attitudes towards sexual fantasies) could be more sensitive to examine sexual health than general attitudes (e.g., erotophilia). Regarding sexual functioning, partner-focused sexual desire was lower in men and women who had suffered abuse (psychological or physical). However, higher sexual desire for an attractive person was observed in men who had experienced physical abuse and in women who had experienced psychological and/or physical abuse. It suggests that having experience of partner abuse would not mean the loss of sexual desire, but the promotion of sexual interest in other people outside the relationship. The study also showed a higher solitary sexual desire in men who had experienced physical abuse compared to those who have not experienced abuse. These results support the differences between men and women in this type of desire, such as the greater frequency of masturbation by men and traditional gender roles. It was observed less sexual excitation and orgasmic capacity only in women with abuse experience (psychological or physical). It reflects that the abuse experience has a greater impact on sexual functioning dimensions in women than in men. Men who had suffered abuse showed to have affected the subjective components of sexual functioning (desire and sexual satisfaction), but not the objective ones, such as the erection or orgasm. Finally, men and women who had suffered abuse (psychological or physical) reported less sexual satisfaction than those who had not suffered abuse.

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Photo by Addy Mae on Unsplash

Photo by Addy Mae on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The experience of abuse both psychological and physical are associated with a clear impact on variables related to sexual health, such as sexual attitudes and dimensions of sexual functioning.

Perspectives